Shadows & Light
by predictablyunpredictable315
Summary: After more than a thousand years, Klaus Mikaelson had finally crawled out of the shadows and was basking in the light.


_And just like that he was unhinged._

_Klaus Mikaelson may have lived for thousands of years, but he has never felt this vulnerable. He was never afraid of anything or anyone. He was the invincible and cocky hybrid prancing from continent to continent with no care in the world. He was always good at blocking his feelings out, hell he was willing to bury his family in coffins if that's what it took. And that's just who he was, or who he chose to be. Easier to be hated then to be loved. Love was a weakness. And he would never be weak._

_And yet here she was, awakening the long-dead wanton in him—his heart. It was like he was struck by lightning. It had to be her honesty. That's it, People have never been honest with him and it was just her honesty that he appreciated, nothing more._

"_You can't just compel people to stay. You may look all tough on the outside but I know better. You're lonely. And you need someone. Every person in this world needs someone-and hybrids are no different. In fact, it must really get tiring." she says. _

"_What gets tiring?"_

"_Pretending not to care." And at that moment her eyes pierced right into his soul._

_Okay it isn't just her honesty. He would have taken her then and there or at the very least pulled her into his arms that very moment. Because only she could do that to him. To say the right words, to make him feel like he had the right to be loved and to love again. Only she could cast him over the edge._

_And yet his principles stopped him. The thousands of years of running away, of murdering, of siring came back to him in an instant. He could not be weak. He could never be weak. He was an original hybrid with the world in his fingertips. He could make sure Tyler would never leave her side. In fact, he should. He would. He had to. And besides, who could forgive him for what he had done, for the person he had become? _

_Hell, why was he even thinking about this? He did not believe in love. Love was for the weak. He was not weak, or was he?_

"She's dying Klaus. Please" Elena begged, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Snap out it. Tyler almost killed her. She needs you"

And then it all came back to him. The reason why he was on edge in the first place. The reality that brought all these thoughts to mind the minute he stepped into the room. Caroline Forbes was bleeding to death in front of him.

He really didn't mean to follow her. Oh, to hell with this, of course he did! He ached for her terribly though he knew he shouldn't. He had to make sure she was safe and then let her live her life without him. But something she said must have pushed Tyler to his breaking point because he almost ripped her heart out in the process. Of course he knew her scent from a mile away and without even thinking had to rush to the scene. But for what? To save her? To watch her die?

What was happening to him?

He needed to run away Right now. He knew that much was true. He was so confused, lost, angry at Tyler for what he had done when he was supposed to protect her, and surprised by all of the things that he was feeling that he just needed it all to stop. He needed to stop caring and thinking and feeling this way. He needed to stop seeing her beautiful smile in his head and her laugh—oh the one that would make him all tingly inside. He needed and knew it—but was glued to the spot.

Stefan tried again and again to wake her. "Caroline, do you hear me? Get up Caroline." But there was no response. Elena rushed over to him and tried to help but they both knew that they were seconds away from losing their friend.

Before Klaus could even make a break for it, Stefans hand was around his neck, slamming him against the wall. "You will not do this again. You compeled me against my will so that I wouldn't feel anything, but here I am, still in love with the same girl. You will not do this, not to yourself. You will not run, do you understand me? I may hate you, I will always hate you and yes for the life of me I would love to strangle you and eventually kill you for the pain you put Elena and I through but I see it clearly in your eyes. You love her. And I will be damned to see you hurt Elena one more time by leaving her to die. I'll be damned if I let you run away from love. Because love is stronger than anything you fool, and if you haven't realized it, you are more stupid and pathetic than I thought."

And Klaus could see it, reflected in the eyes of a man he once called his brother was the truth. That no matter how far he would run, he would always come back to her. He was in love with Caroline Forbes, for the life of him, he'd never understand, but tis the truth.

"Let. Me. GO" he said.

Stefan gripped his neck tighter. But Klaus was stronger than him and it took the latter a mere second to break free from Stefan's hold. "Let me go so I can save her."

And that was when he fed her his blood. He watched as slowly the color came back into the girl that he loved, the sunshine, the light in his darkness. He could see it before his eyes and it humbled him. How could he run away from this—from the rays piercing through his darkness?

"Klaus" she whispered. "Tyler, he he…"

"Shhh everything is going to be okay. I'm here now love. I never should have let you go. You scared me." He heard himself admitting, as he held onto her tight.

"I thought nothing scared you." she replied, looking him straight in the eye.

And he couldn't hide from the truth any longer. "You do love. You do. I never should have trusted the person I care so much about to someone else. I'm sorry sweetheart. I'm sorry for everything," he said, brushing her hair from he reyes.

"I knew you'd come. I knew you'd save me."

And that's all it took, the one thing he had been running away from but what he wanted all along- to be needed, to be cared for. And he could see it in her eyes, the same thing he saw in Stefan's, in Bonnie's, in Bekah's –love.

"Sweetheart, how could I let go of the girl I love?" The words slipped out of his mouth before he managed to save himself. It was hard to admit, but true. And he wasn't weakened by the thought, in fact, he felt like he could do anything, be anything as long as he had her by his side. These feelings he had for her, they invigorated him—humbled him. There was no turning back now. Hell, there was no turning back to begin with. The minute they locked eyes, he should have known his life was changed.

Elena and Stefan stared in shock at the surprising revelation, but knew better. Love conquered all.

As Caroline lifted her hand to pull him in for a kiss, Klaus knew he was hers, and only hers forever.. And as his lips finally met hers, he would never understand how it could get any better than this. She was so soft in his arms, so all-consuming, so… Caroline. And as she wrapped her arms around his neck and his around her waist, he finally felt the warmth he had been searching over a thousand years for. She ignited the the flame within him, a part of him he never knew he had – his heart. It shook him to the core. The rest will have to wait. In fact he was looking forward to courting even the likes of Stefan Salvatore for his forgiveness. All for this one girl,

And as crazy as it may seem, Klaus Mikaelson, after more than a thousand years, had finally crawled out of the shadows and was basking in the light.


End file.
